01 May Parcel Cost Management: Save Money With Our Parcel-Shipping Experts

Posted at 10:55h in Carrier Contract Negotiations, Freight Cost Analysis, Parcel Invoice Auditing, Supply Chain Optimization by

Parcel cost management is now receiving a renewed focus by shippers who are eager to control costs in today’s uncertain economic environment. Parcel-shipping expenses continue to climb every quarter, which has many people looking for opportunities to ship smarter and mitigate the seemingly constant stream of carrier price increases.

If managing parcel costs seems more complex now than ever before, that’s because it is. According to a recent TD Cowen/AFS Freight Index, “Parcel GRIs used to follow an annual tradition – announced well in advance, with enough time for shippers to plan, budget and absorb. In the last 18 months, carrier changes have become more frequent, with less warning and often in subtler forms but just as costly.”1

Since implementing their 2025 GRIs, both UPS and FedEx have announced a number of new payment and processing fees, higher fuel surcharges, as well as higher fuel surcharge calculations.

If the barrage of cost increases has you feeling confounded, you aren’t alone. Of course, you can turn to the parcel company for relief and you may receive a modest discount on the base rate. But that temporary discount won’t save you money on all the add-on fees and surcharges. Plus, let’s face it, your carriers really don’t want you to reduce your overall parcel spend, do they?

So, as parcel shipping costs soar to historic highs, there has never been a better time to collaborate with the parcel cost management experts at SSI. We typically save clients 5 to 8% of their total parcel spend and we would like to do the same for you. To learn more, contact SSI.

PARCEL INVOICE AUDITS CUT COSTS & PROVIDE LONG LASTING SAVINGS

SSI is a FedEx-certified freight bill audit & payment (FBAP) service provider, a recognition many parcel-audit providers do not have. Per FedEx, “this program recognizes Freight Bill, Audit, and Pay Providers that have consistently met or exceeded FedEx internal standards and analytics for receiving invoices electronically, processing, and remitting payment details, and managing disputes on behalf of customers”.2

Our proprietary, automated parcel audits save money – and if you ship a lot, SSI may save you a great deal of money! Week-after-week, the savings add up fast and provide your business with long-lasting benefits.

The SSI parcel bill audit process accurately identifies rate errors, service failures, erroneous accessorial charges, billed weight vs. dimensional weight, duplicate bills, and other potential carrier-invoicing mistakes. Further, the process can be customized to meet your special needs or requirements.

Our thorough process ensures you will recover more refunds with greater ease because you will be armed with audited proof of each and every billing error.

STRATEGIC NEGOTIATIONS REDUCE YOUR PARCEL SPEND

You may wonder if FedEx and UPS are providing your business with the very best available discounts. Further, you may be curious if the contractual agreements (which they wrote) are designed to fit your parcel-shipping needs and objectives.

Without one of our experts on your side, you may never know the answers to these and other pertinent questions.

With more than 100 years of collective experience negotiating with the largest parcel carriers, our expert parcel-contract negotiating team leverages critical data points to create hyper-targeted strategies that deliver more favorable carrier agreements, discounts and terms.

Using DC validation, network optimization, exception management tools and more, we assist clients in making the right decisions at the most opportune times.

CONTRACT MANAGEMENT FOR LONG TERM PARCEL SHIPMENT SAVINGS

We provide your team with the support needed to execute post-launch contract management with on-going data analysis for maximum, sustainable value.

This service includes quarterly business reviews, annual carrier rate impact assessments and more to ensure long-term parcel shipping contract viability and compliance.

Over time, your needs may change. When that happens, you don’t want to overspend for unnecessary features or services. Because balancing costs with service levels is essential, our pros can help you align your needs with the most budget-friendly parcel-carrier services options available.

In fact, our team can help you identify cost-savings opportunities throughout the year.

PARCEL COST MANAGEMENT: DATA ANALYSIS AND BENCHMARKING FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Receive a full analysis of your parcel shipping activity, costs and contracts, including product and accessorial level details.

Our team uses best-in-class analytics and dynamic reporting to compare them against other like-sized companies to measure where you are —and where you need to be —in order to succeed.

Since parcel carriers are routinely increasing various rates, fees and surcharges, it’s important for your business to make data-informed decisions to manage costs year-round.

We can provide insights from your data trends so you know how often you ship packages with certain dimensions and weights, volumes, and service mode so that you are always aware of your shipping profile.

With our support, your team will be informed and agile, which is vital in today’s fast-paced business environment. Armed with real-world performance data, you may streamline parcel-shipping operations and choose the most efficient, cost-effective shipping method every time.

ABOUT SSI

A FedEx-certified freight bill audit & payment (FBAP) service provider, SSI serves the needs of supply chain, operations, logistics, shipping and finance executives. We transform the complexity of global FBAP into cash savings and supply chain intelligence, providing actionable insights to maximize your profit potential.

  • Customizable solution scales with your growing and dynamic business needs.
  • Automated freight audit drives savings to the bottom line.
  • Over 30 years of experience in transacting international payments for our customers.
  • Fintech platform allows you to pay invoices in 150+ currencies, at favorable exchange rates.
  • Cutting-edge data visualization facilitates analysis.
  • Actionable business intelligence supports supply chain optimization and operational efficiencies.

Want to learn more? Our team is eager to help you save money. Contact SSI.

Footnotes:
1. AFS website, “TD Cowen/AFS Freight Index”, Q2: 2025, as published by AFS.
2. FedEx Freight Bill, Audit and Pay (FBAP) Providers Certification, “FedEx Billing Solutions”. Undated, as published by FedEx.

SSI blog post entitled: Parcel cost management: save money with our parcel shipping experts.